South Africa v Australia, 2016-17

One-day internationals (5): South Africa 5, Australia 0
Victory in a one-day series would not normally rank among most teams' proudest moments, but for South Africa this felt different. Never before had Australia lost 5-0 - in any format. And if they were weakened by injuries and rotation, South Africa had issues of their own to overcome. They had to cope without A. B. de Villiers, their captain and brightest star, who was recovering from surgery on his left elbow; Faf du Plessis stood in. And their triumph came in the first series governed by Cricket South Africa's strict transformation policy. Over the course of a season, the national side now had to include an average of at least six non-white players, of whom at least two should be black African.

South Africa met that target, and unearthed new talent in the process. The biggest success was fast-bowling all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo, a graduate of the Under-19 World Cup-winning squad of 2014, and the top wicket-taker here. And, while Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada were underwhelming, the supporting cast suggested strength in depth. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir faced competition from chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi, while Kyle Abbott pushed for a more regular place.

By contrast, Australia's attack looked threadbare. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were rested, and Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins and James Faulkner were ruled out with injuries. They travelled with three newcomers, and their inexperience showed: Joe Mennie, Chris Tremain and Daniel Worrall were tormented by South Africa's batting.

Centuries in the first three games from Quinton de Kock, du Plessis and David Miller, who at long last seemed to be living up to his potential as a finisher, sealed the series. And then a final hundred, from fringe player Rilee Rossouw, sealed the whitewash. He had come into the squad only when de Villiers was ruled out, but made himself indispensable, scoring 311 runs at 78 in a range of roles. He was second only to David Warner, whose sensational 173 in the last match brought his tally to 386 - the most for Australia in a one day series of five games or fewer. It was a heroic effort, but even that could not bring his side a win.

Match reports for

Only ODI: Australia v Ireland at Benoni, Sep 27, 2016
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1st ODI: South Africa v Australia at Centurion, Sep 30, 2016
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2nd ODI: South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg, Oct 2, 2016
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3rd ODI: South Africa v Australia at Durban, Oct 5, 2016
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4th ODI: South Africa v Australia at Gqeberha, Oct 9, 2016
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5th ODI: South Africa v Australia at Cape Town, Oct 12, 2016
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